An archaeologist learns about the long-lost and fallen cultures of the past by studying their remains&mdash;their bones, their ruins, their surviving masterworks, and their tombs. Those who practice archaeology travel to the far corners of t he world to root through crumbled cities and lost dungeons, digging in search of artifacts that might tell the stories of monarchs and high priest s, wars and cataclysms.

Skill Proficiencies: Insight, ReligionTool Proficiencies: Cartographer’s tools or navigator’s toolsLanguages: One of your choiceEquipment: A wooden case containing a map to a ruin or dungeon, a bullseye lantern, a miner’s pick, a set of traveler’s clothes, a shovel, a two-person tent, a trinket recovered from a dig site, and a pouch containing 25 gp

Dust Digger

Prior to becoming an adventurer, you spent most of your young life crawling around in the dust, pilfering relics of questionable value from crypts and ruins. Though you managed to sell a few of your discoveries and earn enough coin to buy proper adventuring gear, you have held onto a n item that has great emotional value to you. Roll on the Signature Item table to see what you have, or choose an item from the table.

d10

Signature Item

d10

Signature Item

1

10-foot pole

7

Sledgehammer

2

Crowbar

8

Whip

3

Hat

9

Shovel

4

Hooded lantern

10

Map case

5

Medallion

11

A book

Feature: Historical Knowledge

When you enter a ruin or dungeon, you can correctly ascertain its original purpose and determine its builders, whether those were dwarves, elves, humans, giants, goblins, yuan-ti, or some other known race. In addition, you can determine the monetary value of art objects more than a century old.

Suggested Characteristics

Few archaeologists can resist the lure of an unexplored ruin or dungeon , particularly if such a site is the source of legends or is rumored to contain the treasures and relics of wizards, warlords, or royalty. Some archaeologists plunder for wealth or fame, while others consider it their calling to illuminate the past or keep the world’s greatest treasures from falling into the wrong hands. Whatever their motivations, archaeologists combine the qualities of a scrappy historian with the self-made heroism of a treasure-hunting scoundrel.